A resource blog for Monster of the Week. Mystery, monsters, custom playbooks, and much more can be found here! All of this is for use with with Monster of the Week by Michael Sands. Monster of the Week is copyrighted by Evil Hat Productions, LLC and Generic Games. Inbox and Submission box open
Mystery, monsters, custom playbooks, and much more can be found here!
All of this is for use with with Monster of the Week by Michael Sands.
Monster of the Week is copyrighted by Evil Hat Productions, LLC and Generic Games.
[Tags] ā¢ [Discord] ā¢ [FAQ]
ASK BOX:
The ask box is for asking questions pertaining to certain mechanics, how to deal with certain players, asking for help on certain monsters, minions, phenomenons; asking to develop certain mystery ideas posted here even further, telling us about your games, etc.Ā It is NOT for us to develop a mystery idea you had further. Doing so will have us ignore it and eventually delete it.Ā
SUBMISSION BOX:
The submission box is for those who have a monster stat block, mystery concept, or full blown mystery they'd like to share to the blog! The basic guide is as follows:
Mystery concept: (only for mysteries, not for monster stats)
Hook: (only for mysteries, not for monster stats)
Monster/Minion/Phenomenon:
[Any details of the monster/minion/phenomenon goes here]
Type:
Powers:
Attacks: [only monsters and minions get this one]
Harm: [only monsters and minions get this one]
Weakness:
Custom Moves:Ā
Again, we will not develop further any mystery concepts you submit.Ā
A demon of revelry and pride has cursed a town/city into fighting one another, but in an interesting way- it will pick two random individuals who will then stop at nothing to kill each other. The one standing is declared the "winner" of the fight. The demon tempts the two with granting their most desired want, but only if they come on top of the "tournament." Any human is affected by it, including infants and children. They will push away anyone who is in the way and they will be desperate to reach each other to fight should they be separated and locked up.
Local law enforcement will stand aside from anyone fighting, and stop anyone trying to break them up.
Type: Panic (make people act irrationally)
Power: Two people will be picked as "tournament challengers," who must then use whatever is around them as weapons in order to kill the other person.
Weakness: Killing the demon will stop the curse entirely. Banishing the demon will only put the curse on "pause," that will have it resume should it ever return.
Custom Moves: If the hunter isn't a Monsterous, Summoned, Host, Construct, Forged, or Visitor, they will be tempted by Mannoth and put into the "tournament" if they don't resist. They must roll +weird in order to resist. On a 10+ they successfully resist the temptation. On a mix, they have a choice to give in to temptation; if they do, they mark an experience. On a miss, they are taken into the "tournament" mindset and will seek out their opponent (can be another hunter that failed!) They will then have to fight them to the death or if someone breaks the hold (other players can Use Magic to break them from it.)
Monster: Mannoth, Demon of Revelry and Pride
"Fighting is wrathful, with no desire and joy inside it. Combat, however? It brings a sense of pride to an individual. A thirst for living and adrenaline. And its intoxicating."
A 9 ft tall muscular demon with 4 arms with sharp clawed hands, and a crown of horns. Its lower half is that of a lion (centaur-style) and its tail is that of an ankylosaurus. It has a belt of different intoxicants and swords, and its hide is covered in scars. It also wears a skinned lion pelt as a cat, with its head acting as a hood for a demon.
When disguised, they take the form of a doberman, a hairless cat, a white crow, and a frail-looking old person.
Type: Tempter (Tempt people into evil deeds)
Powers:
Immense strength
Influence into fighting
Illusions of desires
Adrenaline inducement
Fearful Presence
Weakness: The hunters can challenge Mannoth to a fight, however it has to be one-on-one. Even if its a demon, it still plays fair. It itself is tempted by the spectacle of a fight, and is very willing to do so if it thinks the hunter is a worthy opponent, if it thinks the fight would be fun. If the hunter reduces its harm by a significant amount (down to 10 harm), it will call off the fight calling said hunter a "worthy adversary." It will then grant them a hellish blade (that is very cursed). It will then leave on its own accord.
In order to kill its mortal form, the hunters must obtain one of its claws and use it as a weapon. It'll deal 5 harm (hand ignore armor) at him.
Attacks:
Hammer tail (3 harm close)
Soulcutter Blade (2 harm hand ignore armor)
Rending Claws (2 harm hand)
Natural Defenses (+2 armor)
Harm: 30 harm
Custom Moves:
Same as Phenomenon's effects
Gifted cursed weapon
A weapon gifted by Mannoth as a show of appreciation for a good fight. It is extremely cursed but doesn't activate immediately.
Type: Artifact (to grant someone more power than they can handle)
Power:
Slowly corrupts the user (turning them into a demonic minion of Mannoth)
Makes the user hunger for combat and fightingā¦ and raw meat
Increased hostility and anger
Increased muscle mass
Weakness: Sending the blade back to Mannoth will reverse the effects and will make it very, very upset- it will attempt to return to the realm to claim the life of those who denies its gift.
Increased hostility- the afflicted hunter will have to resist losing themselves into the boiling rage. They must roll act under pressure as if they have the Pure Drive Curse the Monstrous has.
Delicious Iron- The hunter with the blade will constantly crave the bloodiest cuts of raw meat, even if its human. They must roll act under pressure as if they have the Feed Curse the Monstrous has.
Corruption- The hunter will slowly turn into a demonic minion of Mannoth, having them be in their own countdown as such:
Day: The blade is helpful and good
Shadows: Slight paranoia swirls in their heads. They want to take your blade? They might just be jealousā¦ The hunter takes -1 on one roll per encounter.
Sunset: The paranoia has settled in. I think they really want that blade. There is some demands mixed in
Dusk: The demands are annoying and somewhat overwhelming but you can somewhat pull through. But, the paranoia has fully taken hold and you won't let go of the blade. They take -2 ongoing while in proximity of this blade. The blade is the greatest treasure they have
Nightfall: The demands are loud and overwhelming. They take -3 ongoing while in proximity of this blade. They refuse to let go of the blade
Midnight: They are now a thrall of Mannoth, eager to let themselves follow its command or let them become its vessel.
A ruby carved into the shape of a lobster recently trudged up from the depths of an underwater ruins. Brought to a nautical museum to be showed off, its odd effects begin to plague the sleepy town.
Type: Mutagen (transform creatures and people)
Power:
Slowly transforming any mammal, avian, reptile, and fish into a crustacean. Such transformations cause:
Lowered intelligence
Calcification
Bone Shaping
Limb Splitting/Merging
Hair Loss
Weakness: Transmuting the Ruby Lobster into a Sapphire Mammal will stop the effects but not reverse them. Returning the Ruby Lobster to its original place of rest will reverse the effects. While also researching and finding the Sapphire Mammal info, there seems to be hastily redacted info under it (more in the following phenomenon)
Custom Moves:
- Crustacean-ification: The hunters will be exposed to the Ruby Lobster during the course of the mystery. Because of this, they will be dealing with their own personal countdown.
Day: The curse of the Ruby Lobster is set in.
Shadows: The hunter's hair/fur begins to fall out a lot. If hairless, their skin starts shedding as if they have dermatitis. If scales they are constantly shedding. If feathered the feathers keep dropping. You get it.
Sunset: Their skin has calcified, hardening somewhat into a makeshift shell.
Dusk: The hunters limbs begin to shape and merge. They have -2 ongoing to all but +weird moves.
Nightfall: The hunter is now a crab, but still have their human intelligence. They have -2 ongoing for all rolls. However, they gain +1 armor and Crab Claws (1 harm hand).
Midnight: The hunter is still a crab and lost their intelligence. They will have to roll a new hunter.
Phenomenon: Sapphire Mammal
A sapphire carved into the shape of a monkey. It'll return anything transformed into a crab back into its original form, however it will now change up how the animals in the area act.
Type: Mutagen (to transform creatures and people)
Power: While humans & primates/apes won't be affected by the effects, all the creatures in the surrounding area will. Such things include:
Rapid increase in intelligence
Development of thumbs/limbs used to grab if they have none
Lung development to breath air (if aquatic only)
Ability to stand upright
Development of vocal chords so that they may talk
Due to their rapid development into sapience, the animals may react violently (especially those who were harmed before [or say if some cattle realize they're in a slaughter house and will revolt])
Weakness: Turning it back into the Ruby Lobster will revert the effects but then you'd have to deal with the Ruby Lobster's powers. Finding the lost page, one can transmute the Sapphire Mammal into the Emerald Serpent, which is in the shape of a snake biting its own tail. It will revert every effect that both the Sapphire Mammal and Ruby Lobster had done and cause no other effect to occur.
Custom Moves:
Together strong- Hyper-intelligent animals will be stronger when acting as a group.
A being that looks as though it is made of pure light. It casts its glow unto those it deems worthy where the chosen is basking in the warm glow. In reality, they are experiencing the worst thoughts and nightmares imaginable while stuck in that blissful look, and the Radiant is feeding off their torment. They will stop once the victim's mind is broken.
When it's not glowing, it has two bulbous eyes and a skink-like physiology. It has no mouth, and theres a bulbous lump behind its bulging eyes, assumidly its stomach where it stores its abstract meals.
Type: Devourer [Consume people's fear and terror]
Powers:
Blinding glow
Warm light
Trauma activator
Nightmare Inducement
Mesmerize
Weakness: Vanta-black paint can prevent the Radient's light from affecting a person, and covering it with the paint can stop its glow for a moment. Stabbing it in the eyes will kill it. Breaking its gaze upon the victim will stop its feeding.
Attacks:
Quick Flash (1 harm ignore-armor blinding)
Warm Glow (0 harm ignore-armor mental-break)
Harm: 10 harm
Custom Moves:
Blinding- hunters will get blinded by the Quick Flash if they fail a Kick Some Ass or Act Under Pressure roll
Mental Break: if a hunter is caught under its warm glow, they must roll Act Under Pressure to escape from it. On a 10+ the hunter resists and is immune to it foe the rest of the encounter. On a mix they resist but can be affected by it again. On a miss, they fall under its gaze and experience the horrors.
While experiencing the horrors, they take 1 harm ignore-armor. They cannot move themselves, but they can roll Act Under Pressure again to break free.
As of writing this (6/18/2026), i fell down a rabbit hole that is Plague Inc speedruns, so I used a speedrun guide to figure out how to construct this lol
Monster: Project Affliction
An experimental, self-replicating nano-machine developed to be a secretive weapon to be used for war to decimate the warfront to ensure victory. However, either through incompetence or a traitor within the scientists/engineers, the nano machine has escaped and is now spreading through the town/city quickly.
Type: Destroyer (bring about the end of the world)
Powers:
Spreads through the water, smaller animals, and air transmission
Overtime it will develop more symptoms that can potentially kill its hosts, including Dysentery, Necrosis, and Hemorrhagic Shock.
Weakness: The scientists are desperately trying to project out a kill switch code through some signals in an effort to stop the nano-machines before either anyone dies, or to stop more deaths. However, the nano-machines' frequency interception is able to set that code distribution back or it changes its code by a few digits to avoid shutdown. The hunters will have to figure out which is the real kill switch code in order to broadcast it and stop it.
It cannot be killed by any other way except for the kill code. Once the right one is sent out, the hosts with writhe and twitch for a moment, then the body will relax and the nano machines shut down/break down.
It does have the potential of changing its code to one already tested (yes it will be frustrating).
Attacks:
Paranoid Host attack (1 harm hand/intimate)
Internal Rummaging (1 harm intimate ignore armor)
Harm: 1 harm (they're tiny!)
Custom Moves:
Nano machines- if the hunters come in contact with anyone afflicted by the nano machines, they too will be inflicted. Throughout the mystery they are always marked as unstable, allowing the Keeper to decide what will happen to them.
Phenomenon like the Buffy S2E6 titled Halloween where anyone who bought a costume from a particular costume shop turned into what they dressed up as
Phenomenon: The Janus Statue
A statue of the god Janus. The costume shop owner had used it to curse all the costumes, activating on Halloween night.
Type: Mutagen (to transform creatures and people)
Power:
Turns anyone who is wearing the costumes into the being they were representing (such as someone becoming a werewolf while wearing a werewolf costume, a vampire while wearing a vampire costume, etc.).
Weakness:
Finding and destroying the statue will stop the curse, turning everyone back to normal. The shop owner is hiding the statue well, and will take some time to find it to destroy it.
Custom Moves:
Costume Makeover- Individuals wearing costumes will be turned into what they are wearing, losing memories of who they were unless the costume is mostly them or if they represent an undead (such as being a commando outfit turns them into a military man mentally, while being a sexy catgirl or a ghost has the person retain their memories). They will also act as if they are who they are impersonating, either acting on feral instinct or whatever role they are dressed as.
If a hunter is wearing a costume that turns them into a monster, they will temporarily gain curses pertaining to that monster via The Monsterous' traits. Look over the Monsterous playbook & Hunter's Journal for specific curses. They will also lose their memories temporarily depending on how detailed their costume is, having to rely on hunters who either didn't dress up or wore something super simplistic. Depending on the Keeper, the monster-turned hunters may also gain the natural attack traits as well for the time being. They keep their previous moves as well and do not gain any newer moves aside from those listed. Certain costume accessories that was originally just a plasic weapon will become actual weapons as well.
(I know this could also go as a Teratogen but considering some people would wear very benign costumes like glue or sexy nurse i thought it'd be better as a mutagen)
A demon who was sealed inside a book several centuries ago. The book had since been recovered and scanned into a digital database. His soul freed, he now wields technology for his own use.
Type: Trickster (Motivation: to create chaos)
Powers:
Mind Manipulation
Technopathy
Digital Omniscience
Mechanical Possession
Superhuman Strength (Mechanical body form)
Weakness: binding his spirit to a singular mechanical device- it will make him lose his powers and be susceptible to destruction.
Attacks:
(In mechanical body) Wall-breaking Punch (4 harm hand)
Harm: 15 harm
Custom Moves:
Manipulation- Moloch will talk to anyone who is at the computer or cell phone heās currently possessing via word document programs or chat rooms. When he does this, he will exert his mind manipulation onto them. It easily works on those with weak minds, but Hunters can attempt to resist. They must roll +weird to not get mind controlled. On a success, they resist and are immune to his mine control On a mix, they can choose to follow Molochās orders or not; if they do they mark experience. On a failure, they follow his every command without question and are unaware that they are under his control. They can get cured with a Use Magic spell.
another from my random Plague Inc. speedrun binge watching lol
Arc Countdown:
Day: The first meteor crashed nearby a town, beginning to rapidly spread.
Shadow: More meteors crashed down in a different locations, beginning their spread.
Sunset: A cult has developed around the Xenolith, actively going to spread the crystal's growth.
Dusk: The planet is halfway covered in the Xenolith. Mass hysteria and fear envelopes the people.
Nightfall: The majority of the planet is covered in the Xenolith. Even if its stopped, will humanity survive?
Midnight: The entire planet is turned into crystal
An ancient alien element of unknown origin that crashed down one day and began crystalizing everything. To make this a scary arc-based phenomenon, the crystal crashed down in multiple places, having the hunters deal with a world-scale threat.
Type: Biohazard (Infect, harm, and spread)
Power:
Converts all matter into the strange crystal
Spread to humans will cause them to slow down due to crystaline growths, taking over full limbs/body parts. They may eventually be enveloped in it.
Alien frequencies that can drive those attune to it mad.
Mind Control (will bring crystalized individuals to unmarked spots to explode and spread)
Once a certain amount of humans and animals are converted into crystal, it will begin shattering them
Weakness: Harmonic Resonance- Finding the right frequency that the Xenolith spreads will help freeze its activity. There is a chance for the Xenolith to change its frequency, thus slowing or changing how the hunters deal with it.
Custom Moves:
Crystalize- Once the Xenolith has recognized the hunters as a threat to its spread, it will try to convert them into crystal to shatter. The hunters must act under pressure to resist. If they fail, parts of their limbs will become to crystalize. They are marked unstable. If they die while still being crystalized, those parts/themselves will shatter and spread on the ground.
A demon of revelry and pride has cursed a town/city into fighting one another, but in an interesting way- it will pick two random individuals who will then stop at nothing to kill each other. The one standing is declared the "winner" of the fight. The demon tempts the two with granting their most desired want, but only if they come on top of the "tournament." Any human is affected by it, including infants and children. They will push away anyone who is in the way and they will be desperate to reach each other to fight should they be separated and locked up.
Local law enforcement will stand aside from anyone fighting, and stop anyone trying to break them up.
Type: Panic (make people act irrationally)
Power: Two people will be picked as "tournament challengers," who must then use whatever is around them as weapons in order to kill the other person.
Weakness: Killing the demon will stop the curse entirely. Banishing the demon will only put the curse on "pause," that will have it resume should it ever return.
Custom Moves: If the hunter isn't a Monsterous, Summoned, Host, Construct, Forged, or Visitor, they will be tempted by Mannoth and put into the "tournament" if they don't resist. They must roll +weird in order to resist. On a 10+ they successfully resist the temptation. On a mix, they have a choice to give in to temptation; if they do, they mark an experience. On a miss, they are taken into the "tournament" mindset and will seek out their opponent (can be another hunter that failed!) They will then have to fight them to the death or if someone breaks the hold (other players can Use Magic to break them from it.)
Monster: Mannoth, Demon of Revelry and Pride
"Fighting is wrathful, with no desire and joy inside it. Combat, however? It brings a sense of pride to an individual. A thirst for living and adrenaline. And its intoxicating."
A 9 ft tall muscular demon with 4 arms with sharp clawed hands, and a crown of horns. Its lower half is that of a lion (centaur-style) and its tail is that of an ankylosaurus. It has a belt of different intoxicants and swords, and its hide is covered in scars. It also wears a skinned lion pelt as a cat, with its head acting as a hood for a demon.
When disguised, they take the form of a doberman, a hairless cat, a white crow, and a frail-looking old person.
Type: Tempter (Tempt people into evil deeds)
Powers:
Immense strength
Influence into fighting
Illusions of desires
Adrenaline inducement
Fearful Presence
Weakness: The hunters can challenge Mannoth to a fight, however it has to be one-on-one. Even if its a demon, it still plays fair. It itself is tempted by the spectacle of a fight, and is very willing to do so if it thinks the hunter is a worthy opponent, if it thinks the fight would be fun. If the hunter reduces its harm by a significant amount (down to 10 harm), it will call off the fight calling said hunter a "worthy adversary." It will then grant them a hellish blade (that is very cursed). It will then leave on its own accord.
In order to kill its mortal form, the hunters must obtain one of its claws and use it as a weapon. It'll deal 5 harm (hand ignore armor) at him.
Attacks:
Hammer tail (3 harm close)
Soulcutter Blade (2 harm hand ignore armor)
Rending Claws (2 harm hand)
Natural Defenses (+2 armor)
Harm: 30 harm
Custom Moves:
Same as Phenomenon's effects
Gifted cursed weapon
A weapon gifted by Mannoth as a show of appreciation for a good fight. It is extremely cursed but doesn't activate immediately.
Type: Artifact (to grant someone more power than they can handle)
Power:
Slowly corrupts the user (turning them into a demonic minion of Mannoth)
Makes the user hunger for combat and fightingā¦ and raw meat
Increased hostility and anger
Increased muscle mass
Weakness: Sending the blade back to Mannoth will reverse the effects and will make it very, very upset- it will attempt to return to the realm to claim the life of those who denies its gift.
Increased hostility- the afflicted hunter will have to resist losing themselves into the boiling rage. They must roll act under pressure as if they have the Pure Drive Curse the Monstrous has.
Delicious Iron- The hunter with the blade will constantly crave the bloodiest cuts of raw meat, even if its human. They must roll act under pressure as if they have the Feed Curse the Monstrous has.
Corruption- The hunter will slowly turn into a demonic minion of Mannoth, having them be in their own countdown as such:
Day: The blade is helpful and good
Shadows: Slight paranoia swirls in their heads. They want to take your blade? They might just be jealousā¦ The hunter takes -1 on one roll per encounter.
Sunset: The paranoia has settled in. I think they really want that blade. There is some demands mixed in
Dusk: The demands are annoying and somewhat overwhelming but you can somewhat pull through. But, the paranoia has fully taken hold and you won't let go of the blade. They take -2 ongoing while in proximity of this blade. The blade is the greatest treasure they have
Nightfall: The demands are loud and overwhelming. They take -3 ongoing while in proximity of this blade. They refuse to let go of the blade
Midnight: They are now a thrall of Mannoth, eager to let themselves follow its command or let them become its vessel.
A ruby carved into the shape of a lobster recently trudged up from the depths of an underwater ruins. Brought to a nautical museum to be showed off, its odd effects begin to plague the sleepy town.
Type: Mutagen (transform creatures and people)
Power:
Slowly transforming any mammal, avian, reptile, and fish into a crustacean. Such transformations cause:
Lowered intelligence
Calcification
Bone Shaping
Limb Splitting/Merging
Hair Loss
Weakness: Transmuting the Ruby Lobster into a Sapphire Mammal will stop the effects but not reverse them. Returning the Ruby Lobster to its original place of rest will reverse the effects. While also researching and finding the Sapphire Mammal info, there seems to be hastily redacted info under it (more in the following phenomenon)
Custom Moves:
- Crustacean-ification: The hunters will be exposed to the Ruby Lobster during the course of the mystery. Because of this, they will be dealing with their own personal countdown.
Day: The curse of the Ruby Lobster is set in.
Shadows: The hunter's hair/fur begins to fall out a lot. If hairless, their skin starts shedding as if they have dermatitis. If scales they are constantly shedding. If feathered the feathers keep dropping. You get it.
Sunset: Their skin has calcified, hardening somewhat into a makeshift shell.
Dusk: The hunters limbs begin to shape and merge. They have -2 ongoing to all but +weird moves.
Nightfall: The hunter is now a crab, but still have their human intelligence. They have -2 ongoing for all rolls. However, they gain +1 armor and Crab Claws (1 harm hand).
Midnight: The hunter is still a crab and lost their intelligence. They will have to roll a new hunter.
Phenomenon: Sapphire Mammal
A sapphire carved into the shape of a monkey. It'll return anything transformed into a crab back into its original form, however it will now change up how the animals in the area act.
Type: Mutagen (to transform creatures and people)
Power: While humans & primates/apes won't be affected by the effects, all the creatures in the surrounding area will. Such things include:
Rapid increase in intelligence
Development of thumbs/limbs used to grab if they have none
Lung development to breath air (if aquatic only)
Ability to stand upright
Development of vocal chords so that they may talk
Due to their rapid development into sapience, the animals may react violently (especially those who were harmed before [or say if some cattle realize they're in a slaughter house and will revolt])
Weakness: Turning it back into the Ruby Lobster will revert the effects but then you'd have to deal with the Ruby Lobster's powers. Finding the lost page, one can transmute the Sapphire Mammal into the Emerald Serpent, which is in the shape of a snake biting its own tail. It will revert every effect that both the Sapphire Mammal and Ruby Lobster had done and cause no other effect to occur.
Custom Moves:
Together strong- Hyper-intelligent animals will be stronger when acting as a group.
A being that looks as though it is made of pure light. It casts its glow unto those it deems worthy where the chosen is basking in the warm glow. In reality, they are experiencing the worst thoughts and nightmares imaginable while stuck in that blissful look, and the Radiant is feeding off their torment. They will stop once the victim's mind is broken.
When it's not glowing, it has two bulbous eyes and a skink-like physiology. It has no mouth, and theres a bulbous lump behind its bulging eyes, assumidly its stomach where it stores its abstract meals.
Type: Devourer [Consume people's fear and terror]
Powers:
Blinding glow
Warm light
Trauma activator
Nightmare Inducement
Mesmerize
Weakness: Vanta-black paint can prevent the Radient's light from affecting a person, and covering it with the paint can stop its glow for a moment. Stabbing it in the eyes will kill it. Breaking its gaze upon the victim will stop its feeding.
Attacks:
Quick Flash (1 harm ignore-armor blinding)
Warm Glow (0 harm ignore-armor mental-break)
Harm: 10 harm
Custom Moves:
Blinding- hunters will get blinded by the Quick Flash if they fail a Kick Some Ass or Act Under Pressure roll
Mental Break: if a hunter is caught under its warm glow, they must roll Act Under Pressure to escape from it. On a 10+ the hunter resists and is immune to it foe the rest of the encounter. On a mix they resist but can be affected by it again. On a miss, they fall under its gaze and experience the horrors.
While experiencing the horrors, they take 1 harm ignore-armor. They cannot move themselves, but they can roll Act Under Pressure again to break free.
As of writing this (6/18/2026), i fell down a rabbit hole that is Plague Inc speedruns, so I used a speedrun guide to figure out how to construct this lol
Monster: Project Affliction
An experimental, self-replicating nano-machine developed to be a secretive weapon to be used for war to decimate the warfront to ensure victory. However, either through incompetence or a traitor within the scientists/engineers, the nano machine has escaped and is now spreading through the town/city quickly.
Type: Destroyer (bring about the end of the world)
Powers:
Spreads through the water, smaller animals, and air transmission
Overtime it will develop more symptoms that can potentially kill its hosts, including Dysentery, Necrosis, and Hemorrhagic Shock.
Weakness: The scientists are desperately trying to project out a kill switch code through some signals in an effort to stop the nano-machines before either anyone dies, or to stop more deaths. However, the nano-machines' frequency interception is able to set that code distribution back or it changes its code by a few digits to avoid shutdown. The hunters will have to figure out which is the real kill switch code in order to broadcast it and stop it.
It cannot be killed by any other way except for the kill code. Once the right one is sent out, the hosts with writhe and twitch for a moment, then the body will relax and the nano machines shut down/break down.
It does have the potential of changing its code to one already tested (yes it will be frustrating).
Attacks:
Paranoid Host attack (1 harm hand/intimate)
Internal Rummaging (1 harm intimate ignore armor)
Harm: 1 harm (they're tiny!)
Custom Moves:
Nano machines- if the hunters come in contact with anyone afflicted by the nano machines, they too will be inflicted. Throughout the mystery they are always marked as unstable, allowing the Keeper to decide what will happen to them.
A black, ice-cold substance with a sticky, crumbly texture. It comes about from a sudden, sky-darkening storm. Those caught in the storm and had the black snow touch their skin will note that the substance seems to stick onto it like a growth and begin to rapidly spread. Those overtaken will soon suffocate and become a new host.
Type: Biohazard (motivation: to infect, harm, and spread)
Power:
Rapid growth & tissue replacement
Adhesive nature
Nervous system takeover
Suffocating nature
Weakness: thick clothing like puffy jackets and gloves can prevent the Black Snow from latching onto bare skin.
Cutting infected material off the body will stop growth. Note that all infected material must be removed, as a little bit of it remaining will continue growth.
Black Snow becomes ineffective when reduced to a liquid state so long as its not injested, so melting it with heat will work. Once on the skin, however, melting it will no longer work. DO NOT TURN IT TO STEAM! While its mostly harmless in a liquid state, inhaling it will cause it to infect the brain & lungs, thus taking over the host body a lot quicker.
Otherwise, remain indoors until the black snow storm passes and the snow melts.
Custom move:
Infection: Hunters that come into contact with the Black Snow on exposed skin will now have a countdown until they are either cured or taken over. The keeper determins how fast it goes.
Day- just latched onto the skin. Easiy removal with no harm taken.
Shadows- started to grow. Will take 1 harm ignore armor upon removal.
Sunset- more growth has happened, possibly covering fingers, toes, ears, nose, or eyes. Depending on severity, such appendages/nervous organs must be removed. Hunters take 2 harm ignore armor.
Dusk- enough growth at this stage will cover a head, arm, leg, or chest. Removal of arms &/or legs will be required. If on chest and/or head, Use Magic must be used to regraft missing segments. The hunter takes 3 harm ignore armor upon full removal
Nightfall- significant growth has been made. Limbs will be lost, and the hunter takes 4 harm ignore harm upon full removal. Magic is the only way to stabilize during the process. The hunter will begin hearing the hive mind call them, and they must roll +sharp to resist. On a mix, if they choose to fail they gain experience.
Midnight- the hunter is gone. The player must make a new hunter
Minion: Black Snow Victim
Those who have been infected and under the control of the Black Snow. They will seek out and try to infect more living organisms with the black snow.
Type: Renfield (motivation: to push victims towards the Black Snow)
Powers: hive-mind
Attacks:
Shove (1 harm close)
Bite (if head is exposed) (2 harm intimate infect)
Harm: 5 harm
Custom move: see phenomenon's custom move for more info
Individuals who are unwillingly possessed by the feral spirit of the Hyena. They gain all the strengths of the beast, however their minds start to slip and lose their sense of humanity. They become more mean and bloodthirsty until they are nothing more than a vicious animal mentally.
Hook: The hunters will find either animal or human corpses torn apart by what looks like wild dogs.
Type: Queen (Motivation: To Possess and Control)
Powers:
Enhanced Strength & Speed
Heightened Senses
Strong Jaws
Weakness: They're still human. They can be killed by normal means. The hunters can also excise the spirits from them, however they will seek the nearest individual to possess instead. If you excise the spirit, those that were possessed by it will retain all memories of what they did while under the control of the spirit.
Attacks:
Tackle (1 harm close restrain)
Bite (2 harm intimate)
Harm: 7 harm
Minion: Zookeeper Weirick
Purposefully closed off the hyena exhibit in order to harness the spirit for themselves. Now seeks to capture the individuals who have it to transfer it unto themself. They will involve and sacrifice others just to get what they wants.
Type: Traitor (motive: to betray people)
Attacks:
Big Knife (1 harm hand)
Harm: 5 harm
Design Notes: VV
Next one is the Hyena Spirits from the season 1 episode "The Pack"!
I had the zookeeper be gender neutral for now so that the Keeper can change their gender to whatever seems to fit for em. You can even change the name out too if you have a npc that seems like Weirick already lol.
A large, mantis-like creature that can shapeshift into any human that it deems appealing. It seems to target those who have not mated yet.
Type: Parasite (motivation: to reproduce and devour)
Powers:
Shapeshift into human form
Rotate head 180 degrees
Release pheromones to attract mates
Terrifying presence
Powerful mandibles that can crush skulls
Weakness: bug spray and bat sonars
Attacks:
Mantis Claws (2 harm close restrain)
Mandibles (3 harm intimate)
Harm: 10 harm
Custom Moves:
Virgins do better: The Mantid does double harm if the person itās biting happens to be a virgin. Asexuals take the normal damage.
A Certain Allure: The Mantid releases a pheromone to those it believes is a virgin in an attempt to lure them to its den. If it tries to lure a hunter, they must roll Act Under Pressure to not be charmed. On a success, they easily resist it and are immune. On a mix, they resist it but can be susceptible to it should the Mantid releases its pheromones again. On a miss they fall into its allure. A hunter can choose to fail the roll- doing so nets them experience.
Hunters that are not virgins or are asexual are immune to the pheromones.
Design notes under the cut!
This is the first of the Buffy -> MoTW I'm doing! I was originally going to do the vampires, but considering that they're so popular I felt like it would be redundant. If people want em though, I wouldn't mind writing them.
Anyways! I felt like some of these I will possibly do changes from the original source while also keeping true to its nature. This one being probably the most noticeable change so far? I wanted it to be more inclusive and flexible for both the keeper and the hunters. Having it be strictly gender-specific felt really limiting to me as a keeper (as she-mantises mate with male virgins only), so I opened it up to be any gender/non-binary. I also added that asexuals would be immune to its charms as well!
I finally had some frer time at work to finish this up!
Monster: Dr. Joseph Cassius
A simple man, really- middle aged pediatrician with not much thrills in his life. However, those who have been around him feel oddly sick and itchy. Thereās also a weird, light buzzing noise around him. His shadow seems to actually sway a bit as well, like an unruly swarm of flies.
Type: Parasite (motivation: to infest, control, and devour)
Powers:
Causes infected victims to have their personalities overwritten with that of a very polite and mild-mannered middle-aged black guy named Dr. Joseph Cassius, who works as a pediatrician in Idaho
Replacing peopleās own shadows and controlling them as they feed on their life essence
After eggs/larvae are implanted into an open wound, the parasite infests another living being, taking over the movement center of the brain over the course of 24-72 hours.
Attacks:
TMI (1 harm ignore armor)
Tell Me Where it Hurts [see custom moves]
Glock 22 (2 harm far)
Child-wrangling grip (0 harm hand restrain)
Cross-Contamination (1 harm close far)
Weakness:
Find the original Dr. Cassius, who will know exactly how to fix the problem and end the threat of the monster effortlessly. However, heās on vacation right now so that might be a challenge.
A Taste of His Own Medicine: Turn his moves against him, such as:
TMI: Tell him a fact about himself
Tell Me Where it Hurts: research Dr. Cassius and throw his own trauma back at him
Iām a Healer, butā¦: His own gun deals damage to himself.
Child-Wrangling Grip: when a hunter rolls a+10 on Kick Some Ass and chooses the āYou force them where you want themā option, +1 harm gets added to the total damage dealt
Cross-Contamination: use bug spray on Dr. Cassiusā open wounds and shadow to prevent insects from flying out.
Harm: 15
Custom Moves:
TMI- Dr. Joseph Cassius tells you facts about his life that no one would care to know. These facts can range from incredibly boring to mundane to disturbingly intimate.
Tell Me Where it Hurts: The infected shadow takes hold of the victimās shadow to re-open old wounds. When the shadow touches a hunterās shadow, have them roll Act Under Pressure. On a mixed result, the hunter takes 2 harm ignore armor. On a miss, they take the 2 harm ignore armor but the wounds go deeper than physical. Mental wounds start to open up as well, causing whoever is infected to go into distress. They take -1 ongoing until they can patch up those mental scars.
Cross-Contamination- The infected use its shadow and open wounds to release a swarm of insects at either a single target or a group. If a hunter is hit with this and has an open wound, they must roll Act Under Pressure to get the bugs out. On a mix they get a choice to either get the bugs out or let them burrow; if they pick the latter let them mark experience. On a miss the bugs burrow within them, they are now infected.
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Minion: Last Stage Puppets
Prior to final transformation into Dr. Cassius, victims are made violent puppets by the monster, using whatever weapons they have on hand
Type: Right Hand (motivation: to back up the monster
Attacks: Makeshift Weaponry (1-3 harm. Pick one tag that applies: intimate, hand, close)
Harm: 6
Weakness: Killing the Dr. Cassius that infected them in the first place will slowly bring them back to normal. They will have to be supervised though. Those killed before Dr. Cassius is destroyed will have their bodies dispersed into a swarm of harmless insects.
Taking a couple creative liberties with this. I really love the Slaad from d&d and thought they'd be a good fit for MotW! I see these as like an arc, where at the end you deal with the Death Slaad.
I know that Slaads born outside of limbo won't have the control gems, but they have to have some weakness in this game lol. You're always welcome to modify these as well.
Born from an elder god's interferrence with Limbo, the slaadi are that of chaos incarnate. They seek to only spread chaos and pain for their terrible pleasure, and someday soon will repopulate entire realms with nothing but their ilk.
Monster: Red Slaad
Vile and vicious, the Red Slaad is more beast than person. It enjoys suffering and wishing nothing but to see the slow agony its tadpoles inflect in gestation/birth.
Type: Parasite (motivation: to infest, control and devour)
Powers:
Magic Resistance
Regeneration
Implant Slaad Egg
Weakness:
Control gem: implanted within all Slaad's brains is a control gem. Anyone that is able to obtain this gem has complete control over the Slaad. It is also the cause of its regeneration, the chaotic confluence of the Spawning Stone's magic healing its wounds. The only way to obtain the gem without killing the Slaad is with magic or with extreme precision. A hunter attempting to remove the gem must make an Act Under Pressure roll (if doing it by hand) or a Use Magic roll (do one thing beyond human limitation). On a 10+, they obtain the gem. On a mix, they do not obtain it but it is destroyed, making the Slaad vulnerable to attack and disabling its regeneration. On a miss, the gem is not removed and the Slaad wakes up.
Destroying the control gem disables their regeneration, but they will wake up instantly with either half or full harm restored (keeper's choice).
Attacks:
Bite (2 harm intimate)
Claw (1 harm hand implant)
Harm: 10 Harm
Custom Moves:
Egg Implant: If a Red Slaad scratches a hunter, they will become infected with a Slaad egg. They will not know about the egg within them. Over the 3 month course, the egg will move to the chest cavity, gestate, and forms into a Slaad Tadpole. In the 24-hour period before the Tadpole escapes, the host will start to feel unwell. Within the time, they are marked Unstable and will gain -1 ongoing to each basic move. When the Tadpole is ready, it will chew its way out of its host, eating their vital organs, instantly killing the host.
The hunters can only get the tadpole removed via a supernatural force, magical spell, or alien tool that is meant to cure all diseases. This can even be a mystery on its own, searching for a way to cure it before the 3 month period & last 24 hours ends.
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Monster: Blue Slaad
Hulking and dimwitted, the Blue Slaad knows only to spread terror and increase its Slaadi numbers via the Chaos Phage.
Type: Parasite (motivation: to infest, control and devour)
Powers:
Telepathy
Magic Resistance
Regeneration
Pass on Chaos Phage
Weakness:
Control gem: implanted within all Slaad's brains is a control gem. Anyone that is able to obtain this gem has complete control over the Slaad. It is also the cause of its regeneration, the chaotic confluence of the Spawning Stone's magic healing its wounds. The only way to obtain the gem without killing the Slaad is with magic or with extreme precision. A hunter attempting to remove the gem must make an Act Under Pressure roll (if doing it by hand) or a Use Magic roll (do one thing beyond human limitation). On a 10+, they obtain the gem. On a mix, they do not obtain it but it is destroyed, making the Slaad vulnerable to attack and disabling its regeneration. On a miss, the gem is not removed and the Slaad wakes up.
Destroying the control gem disables their regeneration, but they will wake up instantly with either half or full harm restored (keeper's choice).
Attacks:
Bite (3 harm intimate ignore armor curse)
Claw (2 harm hand curse)
Harm: 10 Harm
Custom Moves:
Chaos Phage- The Blue Slaad, upon scratching or biting an individual, passes on a disease called Chaos Phage. The infected will feel ill, yet no one will be able to deduce what the illness is except those who studied Slaads. The infected cannot heal from wounds normally, and will slowly get weaker. Once their health is gone, they will undergo a horrific transformation and turn them into a Red Slaad. If they were able to cast magic, they instead become a Green Slaad. Only petitioning to higher beings (elder gods, arch demons, divine beings, etc.) can reverse the transformation.
If a hunter becomes infected with Chaos Phage, they are marked unstable and take damage over time until their harm hits 0. The hunters can only get the disease cured via a supernatural force, magical spell, or alien tool that is meant to cure all diseases.
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Monster: Green Slaad
Incredibly intelligent compared to the Red and Blue Slaad, it will do whatever it can in hopes of achieving absolute power. It strives to become a Gray Slaad, a more powerful version of itself.
Type: Sorcerer (motivation: to usurp power)
Powers:
Shapeshifting
Spellcasting (can detect thoughts & magic, turn invisible, cause fear, and launch fireballs). They will also attempt to heal its masters should their health get low (1-2 harm each) but to non-Slaad its incredibly painful
Magic Resistance
Regeneration
Telepathy
Weakness:
Control gem: implanted within all Slaad's brains is a control gem. Anyone that is able to obtain this gem has complete control over the Slaad. It is also the cause of its regeneration, the chaotic confluence of the Spawning Stone's magic healing its wounds. The only way to obtain the gem without killing the Slaad is with magic or with extreme precision. A hunter attempting to remove the gem must make an Act Under Pressure roll (if doing it by hand) or a Use Magic roll (do one thing beyond human limitation). On a 10+, they obtain the gem. On a mix, they do not obtain it but it is destroyed, making the Slaad vulnerable to attack and disabling its regeneration. On a miss, the gem is not removed and the Slaad wakes up.
Destroying the control gem disables their regeneration, but they will wake up instantly with either half or full harm restored (keeper's choice).
Attacks:
Bite (2 harm intimate)
Claw (1 harm hand curse)
Fireball (4 harm far area fire magic)
Harm: 10 harm
Custom Moves:
Shapechanging- depending on its origin, the Green Slaad can either shapeshift into any kind of human it has seen or shift into its host's form. It can even perfectly mimic their voice and way of speech. The only thing it cannot replicate is memories.
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Monster: Gray Slaad
The Gray Slaad travels about the land, causing doom and chaos to those living in them. They listen to nobody except for the Death Slaads or those who have their control gems. It also carries around an enchanted Greatsword, marked with a symbol of its Death Slaad's choosing. Once it feels strong enough, it will challenge a Death Slaad to combat. If it is victorious, it will then devour its corpse and transform into a Death Slaad.
Type: Trickster (motivation: to create chaos)
Powers:
Shapeshifting
Spellcasting (can detect thoughts & magic, turn invisible, cause fear, launch fireballs, create illusions, fly, and shift between realities/planes)
Magic Resistance
Regeneration
Telepathy
Weakness:
Control gem: implanted within all Slaad's brains is a control gem. Anyone that is able to obtain this gem has complete control over the Slaad. It is also the cause of its regeneration, the chaotic confluence of the Spawning Stone's magic healing its wounds. The only way to obtain the gem without killing the Slaad is with magic or with extreme precision. A hunter attempting to remove the gem must make an Act Under Pressure roll (if doing it by hand) or a Use Magic roll (do one thing beyond human limitation). On a 10+, they obtain the gem. On a mix, they do not obtain it but it is destroyed, making the Slaad vulnerable to attack and disabling its regeneration. On a miss, the gem is not removed and the Slaad wakes up.
Destroying the control gem disables their regeneration, but they will wake up instantly with either half or full harm restored (keeper's choice).
Attacks:
Bite (2 harm intimate)
Claw (1 harm hand)
Greatsword (3 harm hand magic)
Fireball (4 harm far area fire magic)
Harm: 14 harm
Custom Moves:
Shapeshift- depending on its origin, the Gray Slaad can either shapeshift into any kind of human it has seen or shift into its host's form. It can even perfectly mimic their voice and way of speech. The only thing it cannot replicate is memories.
Plane Shift- The Gray Slaad will shift itself out of the reality if it feels like it's going to die soon. The only way to stop it from doing that is to Use Magic (trap a specific person, minion, or monster) to make sure it doesn't leave.
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Monster: Death Slaad
The most powerful of the Slaadi, the Death Slaad exemplify true evil of corruption and chaos, and take sadistic pleasure in inflicting harm and misery unto others. They rule over weaker Slaadi, taking on Gray Slaad as their right hands. It has been rumored as well that cults formed under the Death Slaad, seeing them as their gods.
Type: Torturer (motivation: to hurt and terrify)
Powers:
Shapeshifting
Spellcasting (can detect thoughts & magic, turn invisible, cause fear, launch fireballs, create illusions, fly, spawn deadly fog, and shift between realities/planes)
Magic Resistance
Regeneration
Telepathy
Weakness:
Control gem: implanted within all Slaad's brains is a control gem. Anyone that is able to obtain this gem has complete control over the Slaad. It is also the cause of its regeneration, the chaotic confluence of the Spawning Stone's magic healing its wounds. The only way to obtain the gem without killing the Slaad is with magic or with extreme precision. A hunter attempting to remove the gem must make an Act Under Pressure roll (if doing it by hand) or a Use Magic roll (do one thing beyond human limitation). On a 10+, they obtain the gem. On a mix, they do not obtain it but it is destroyed, making the Slaad vulnerable to attack and disabling its regeneration. On a miss, the gem is not removed and the Slaad wakes up.
Destroying the control gem disables their regeneration, but they will wake up instantly with either half or full harm restored (keeper's choice).
Attacks:
Bite (3 harm intimate)
Claw (2 harm hand)
Greatsword (3 harm hand magic)
Fireball (4 harm far area fire magic)
Deadly Fog (2 harm area magic)
Harm: 20 harm
Custom Moves:
Shapeshift- The Death Slaad can shapeshift into any kind of human it has seen. It can even perfectly mimic their voice and way of speech. The only thing it cannot replicate is memories.
Plane Shift- The Death Slaad, much like a Gray Slaad, will shift itself out of the reality if it feels like it's going to die soon. The only way to stop it from doing that is to Use Magic (trap a specific person, minion, or monster) to make sure it doesn't leave.
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Minion: Slaad Tadpole
Tadpoles the size of common house cats or small dogs, the Slaad Tadpoles burst out of their host's chest once gestation is complete. They will feed on anything nearby, and within 22 hours will grow into a Blue or Green Slaad. They hold no loyalty to anyone at this stage.
Type: Plague (motivation: to swarm and destroy)
Powers:
Magic resistance
Attacks:
Bite (1 harm intimate)
Harm: 4
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